Wire-splicing tool



w. D. STETS'ON WIRE SPLICING TOOL Filed June 9, 192.4 2 Sheets-Shea. 1

Oct. 18,1927.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Mfner D. Stets n 1 l 645 668 Oct 927 w. D. STETSON v "WIRE SPLICING TOOL Filed June 9, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheat INVENTOR- l/arnerD. St

A TTORNEY.

Patented a.. is, 1927. v

[UNITED STATES -WARNEB 1). srn'rson, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

. winn-srmome moon.

Application filed June 9,

This invention relatesto 'wire splicing tools and the object of the invention is toprovide a wire splicing tool for linemens use which may be operated in a limited space thus eliminatingpossibility of bringing the tool into contact with adjacent high tension lines when in :use. 7

Another object of the invention i to provide aivire splicing tool of more compact form than those now in .use so that the tool "may be carried in the linemens pocket or belt while working on overhead lines.

Heretofore tools ofthis type have been large and bulky and provided with two handles causing much difficulty in carrying the tool up the pole to the overhead lines and due to this difliculty and the unwieldy shape of this former type of tool the danger of droppingthe tool'and injuring persons below as well as other linemen was imminent.

Another disadvantage of this type of tool is that in working close to other electric lines the tool can only be given a half turn at a time at which time it, must be removed and reset on the splicing tube until the splice is correctly made which requires several resettings of the tool and increases the danger of contacting adjacent high tension lines.

Therefore, the principal objectof this invention is to provide a wire splicing tool which is more eflicient in operation than the tools of this type now in use and which may be operated in a limited space .to prevent the likelihood of striking adjacent high tension lines and to also provide a tool of suiticiently reduced size that it may be easily carried up the pole to the overhead lines in the linemens belt or pocket without danger to persons below.

These objects and the several novel features of the invention are hereinafter more "fully described and claimed and the pre 7 fer'red form of construction by which these objects are attained is shown in the accompanying drawings in which- Fig. 1 is an'elevation oft-he operating head of a linemens tool embodying my invention. N

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, longitudinal section through the head of the tool. 1

Fig.3 is a, perspective view of oneo'f'the die members.

Fig.4 is a section taken on line 4 4: of Fig. 2. i 3 Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 2.

1324.. Serial No. 718,730.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. Fig. 2.

' Fig. 8 is a perspective viewof the end of one of the splicing tubes with which thetool is used. f I r I. 1- The tool comprises a handle 1 which may bemade of sufiicient length to. provide the proper leverage and terminates at the upper end in a portion 2 to which the plates--3t are secured on opposite sides. These. plates. are provided with slots 4: as shown in Fig. "2' through which the pins 5 extend, the pins 5- being secured in opposite sides of the memhere 6 and 7 which are slidable over the portion 20f thelever and the plates 3-Ias shown in Fig. 7. These'members 6'and 7 in the po-' sition shown 'in Fig. 2, allow both dogs 8 7 is a section taken on line 7-7 of v 1,645,668,. PATENT. CE;

and-9 to engage in theteeth 10 of. the die members. By moving the members 6 and 'Z' upwardlythey will engage over the curved faces 11 of the dogs andthus retract the the dogs from the teeth 10 by turning: the dogs on the pivots 12. The lower ends'of the dogs 8 and 9 are spread apart bythe coiled spring 13' and are thus normally forced into engagement with the teeth 10 and upon sliding either member 6 or Tupwardly over the curved face 11 of the correspondin g dog the dog is turned on its pivot against the tension of the spring 13' to with: draw the end thereof from the teeth 10' ot the die members. As shown in Figs. 2' and 4 a pair of flat annular membersl l are pro vided for 'the'opposite sides of the head and are supported in spaced relation on the spacer members15,'16 and 17. As will be understood from Fig. 1 these annular members are split so that the spacer 17 with theupper halves of the annular members 14 may be opened on a pivot pin or hinge point 18, The member 17 at the end oppositethe hinge point 18 is provided with a ho ok end 19 and a latch member 20 is provided which ispivoted at 21 and is provided "with a spring 22 for forcing it into engagement with the hook end 19. The die comprises end of which is shown in Fig. 8, this type electric conduits. These die members as will be understood from Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are 7 provided on each side with a bead 26 which forms an annular bead when the two .die

members are positioned together as shown in Fig. 2. The plates 14 are provided with annular grooves 27 to receive the beads 26 and'these grooves provide ways in which the die members are rotatable in the head. In order to secure the die members together each die member is provided with a lug 28 provided with an aperture 29 and with a recess 30 to receive the lug 28 of the opposite die member. Each die member is also provided'with a pin 31 adapted to extend through the recess 30 and through the aperture 29 in the lug=28 of the opposite die member. Each pin as shown in Fig. 6 extends through the recess 30 and is provided with two annular grooves 37 and 39. A recess 33 is drilled into the flat face of each die member and a coiled spring 34 is positioned in the bottom of the recess 33 and forces the member 35 upwardly into engagement with the annular groove 37 in the pin 31 and a plugis fitted in the. recess 33 to close the recess 33 above the pin 31. The pin in Fig. 6 is in the locking position but may be drawn out to unlock the die members until the member 35 engages in the annular groove 39'which yieldably holds the pin in the unlocked position. WVhen the die members are positioned together and locked by means of the pins 31 in the tool head they cannot spread apart under any torsional strain produced in twisting the splicing tube.

To use the tool the die members are set so that the line on which they separate is co-extensive with the line on which the head of the tool separatesat which time by pressing inwardly on the knob 40 the latch 20 is turned to the dotted position shown-in Fig. 2 and the pins 31 are withdrawn at this time at which time the head may be swung open as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2

each half of the head containing one of the die members. The head is then closed over a splicing tube similar to that shown in Fig. S and the catch 20 by means of the spring 22 reengages over the hook end 19. At this time the pins 31 are again forced inwardly through the apertures 29 of the lugs 28 which looks the die members together. A similar tool is attached to the opposite end of the splicing tube and the wires'to be spliced are inserted through the two longitudinal chambers of the splicing tube and are turned back over the ends thereof to hold the wires in position. At this time by moving one of the members 6 or 7 upwardly one of the dogs is disengaged from the toothed periphery of the die members and the opposite dog is disengaged on the other tool. By this arrangement the handles of the two tools may bemoved in opposite directions which will twist the splicing tube'and the handles are moved back and forth through an are as will be readily understood until the tube has been sufiiciently twisted to properly splice the wires and solidly hold them together. By disengaging both dogs the head of the tool may be turned until the line on which thehead splits is co-extensive with the line on which the die members separate at which time the pins 31 may be withdrawn and the latch 20 may be disengaged to allow the headof the tool to be opened and. removed from the splicing tube. lVhen the head of the tool is opened wide the die members may be turned in the ways provided by the beads or ribs 26 and the grooves 27 until the die members are removed from the head of the tool atwhich time other interchangeable die members may be inserted in the head in the same manner. VVhen both dogs are engaged as shown in Fig. 2 movement of the tool in either direction will turn the die members therewith and when one dog or the other is disengaged the die members will turn in one direction or the other with the tool and when both dogs are disengaged the tool may be turned without turning the die members. As the splicing tubes are madeof different sizes to fit different sized wires each tool is equipped with a series of interchangeable die members in which the sizes of the apertures 25 vary to receive several different sizes. of splicing tubes and a seriesof tools may be manufac tured of different sizeseach equipped with a setof die members to receive a series of different sized splicing tubes so that all sizes of splicing tubes may be twisted with the complete set of tools; Due to the compactness of the, tool it may be easily carried by the linemen and may be used in positions where the usual splicing tool for this purpose could not; be used and thus the efficiency of this device over previoustools now in use is very great.

From the foregoing description it becomes evident that the device is very simple and eflicicnt in operation, will not easily get out of order, is very easily operated in comparison with other tools for this purpose and provides a device which accomplishes the objects described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is 1. A wire splicing tool comprising a handle having a separable two-part head apertured to receive a die, the handle being rig idly connected with one of the head parts and the other of said parts beingv pivotally attached thereto independently of the handle. a die comprising two separable semicircular halves rotatably mounted in the head, the die parts being provided with circular ribs and the head parts being provided with E mounted part circular grooves to rece've the said ribs, the

die being provided with a pair of dogs pivotally dle, a coiled spring dogs in engagement with the toothed periphery of the die, a pair of members mounted on the handle and adapted to be manually moved to engage the respective dog and re tract it from engagement with the toothed periphery of the die.

2. A wire splicing tool comprising a handle having a separable two-part head apertured to receive a die, a die comprising two separable semicircular halves rotatably in the head, the die being provided with a circular rib and the head being provided with a circular groove to receive the said rib, the die being provided with a toothed periphery, a reversible ratchet mechanism engaging the toothed periphery of the die, each die part being provided with an apertured lug and a recess, thelug of one die part fitting in the recess of the other die part, and a pin movable throughthe recess a toothed periphery, mounted in the hanof each d-ie part, the pins engaging in the apertures of the lugs to secure the die parts together. 7 3. A wire splicing tool comprising a bandle having a separable two-part head apertured to receive a die, the handle being rigidly connected with one of the head parts and the other of said parts being pivotally attached thereto independently of the handle, a die comprising two separable semicircular halves rotatably mounted in the head and adapted to engage a splicing tube therebetween, the die being provided with a toothed periphery, means for securing the two die halves together, a pair of spring-pressed dogs normally engaging the toothed periphery of the die, and manually operable means for retracting either or both dogs from the toothed periphery of the die.

4. In a wire splicing tool, aseparable twohead apertured to receive a die, a die comprising two separable semicircular halves rotatably mounted in the head, a lug on each portion of the die, each die portion being provided with a recess to receive the lug of the opposite portion of the die, means for securing the die members together with the lugs engaging in the recesses, the

normally holding the dle having a separable die portions being so shaped as to engage a splicing tube therebetween when in assembled position. I

5. A wire splicing tool comprising a handle having a separable two-part head apertured to receive a die, a die comprising two separable semicircular halves rotatably mounted in the head and adapted to engage a splicing tube therebetween, means independently of the head for locking the two die parts in the assembled relation, the die being provided with a toothed periphery, a pair of spring-pressed dogs normally engaging, the toothed periphery of the die, and manually operable means for retracting either or both dogs from the toothed periphcry of the die. 7

6. A wire splicing tool comprising a hantwo-part head apera die comprising two tured to receive a die,

semicircular halves rotatably separable mounted in the head, means independently of the head for locking the'two die parts in the assembled relation, the die parts being provided. with circular ribs and the head parts being provided with circular grooves to receive the said ribs, the die being provided with a toothed periphery, and a reversible ratchet mechanism engaging the toothed periphery of the die.-

7. In a wiresplicing tool, a separable two-part head apertured to receive a die, a die comprising two separable semicircular halves rotatably mounted in the head, means independently of the head for locking the two die parts in the assembled relation, the die halves being so shaped as to engage a splicing tube therebetween when in. assembled relation.

8. In a wire splicingtool, a separable twopart head, a die rotatable in the head comprising two separable semicircular halves and adapted when positioned together to form an aperture in the center, means for locking the two parts of the head tohold the die, and manually operable means for locking the two semicircular die halves together.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification.

' WARNER n. sr nrson. 

